Don't leave your purses in the news vehicles!

[amp]

Usually, if you leave valuables in a locked car, they are somewhat safe. Recently, a reporter at one of the other stations here left her purse under the seat in a locked live truck. She and her photog run down the street to shoot some of their story. When they get back, they find someone smashed the window, and took her purse.

Oh, but the story doesn't end there. She of course had to replace all her credit cards and get new keys. Since the robber KNOWS where she works, she felt she needed to change the locks in her new car. The station she works at refused to pay for the cost of her new lock and key.

Should the station pay for the new lock and keys since it was their vehicle that got broken into? If she was just replacing the cost of the key (hundreds of $$ because it is one of those new keys with a microchip) should the station pay for that?

[Signature on File]

You should not take a purse to work with you!!!

[Michigan J. Frog]

Originally posted by amp:
Should the station pay for the new lock and keys since it was their vehicle that got broken into? No.

It wasn't the station's fault in any way.

Therefore, not the station's responsibility.

[Fargin Icehole]

Originally posted by amp:
...she felt she needed to change the locks in her new car. Pay for her lock change? Nope.
Her car, her choice....her expense.

[writer2]

At first I thought, "good call to change the locks on her car, but I wouldn't expect the station to pay for it." Then I wondered--how would the thief know which car was hers?

[DoneThatToo]

Look at this way. If the purse had been left in a friend's car would she expect her friend to cover the expense?

What else was stolen besides the purse?? any gear??

[TAFKA wacowx]

Never, NEVER leave any valuables visibly in a car. I'll put stuff under my seat or in a glove box or in the truck before I leave them out for everyone to see. If I rent a DVD and then stop in another store, you better believe that DVD is going under the seat. I even stash mail under the seat if I pick it up on the way to somewhere else since unsavory people can gain vital info about you, the owner of that car.

Not to sound glib, but that reporter got what was coming to her...and no, I don't feel the station should pay her for lock replacement.

[TAFKA wacowx]

Originally posted by writer2:
At first I thought, "good call to change the locks on her car, but I wouldn't expect the station to pay for it." Then I wondered--how would the thief know which car was hers?He/she could use the keys from the purse on all of the cars in the station parking lot. Wouldn't take too long...especially with electronic locks, just press UNLOCK and see which headlights light up.

[Focker]

Originally posted by WacoWX:
Never, NEVER leave any valuables visibly in a car. I'll put stuff under my seat or in a glove box or in the truck before I leave them out for everyone to see. Not to sound glib, but that reporter got what was coming to her...and no, I don't feel the station should pay her for lock replacement.Um, the OP says she left the purse under the seat.

And I don't think the station should pay. Her choice to change the locks on her car.

[Fargin Icehole]

Originally posted by Focker:
Um, the OP says she left the purse under the seat.
Like that matters anyway. A thief knows that's the first place you look anyway.
Check this out: Car Thief Rampage Video (http://ebaumsworld.com/2006/07/carthieframpage.html)
(loads of harsh language so turn the volume down a little)

[Michigan J. Frog]

Another good piece of advice:
Don't videotape your criminal activities and then make that tape public.

...or, better yet, go ahead. Makes great evidence.

[writer2]

WacoWx...thanks for the info. Shows you I'm a Luddite. ;)

[Mr. Rugen]

A friend of a friend shot a car commercial in Europe, it was a week long shoot on HD cams with a $150,000 budget using another $200,000 or so worth of equipment. On the way back to the airport the two guys decided to pull over for a sandwich. when they got back to America my friend asked his friend how the shoot went. The guy said "What's the most expensive meal you've ever had?" to which my firend replied "a coupla' hundred bucks". His friend said "Well, I had a $250,000 sandwich on our way to the airport." Turns out that while they were eating some guys broke into the van and took everything. Even a bottle of water that was in the cup holder.

The lesson? Get that sandwich to go, everytime.

[ISTHISTHINGON?]

My vote is unfortunately that the woman is out of luck. If she brings it with her, then she should take it with her....at least what she can't do without. Her car keys could have even stayed at the office I'd think. Sucks, but I think the station isn't at fault.

[Lazlo Toth]

I believe you should not leave nurses in the news vehicles.

[Focker]

Originally posted by Fargin Icehole:
Like that matters anyway. A thief knows that's the first place you look anyway.
Yah, and I agree. I was just referring to WacoWx who said "Never, NEVER leave any valuables visibly in a car. I'll put stuff under my seat...before I leave them out for everyone to see." and I was just pointing out that's exactly what she did. :D

By the way, is she charging the station for the cost of replacing the locks at her house...since the robber probably now knows where she lives? graemlins/face_banghead.gif

[ November 15, 2006, 11:09 AM: Message edited by: Focker ]

[Mr. Rugen]

Originally posted by Lazlo Toth:
I believe you should not leave nurses in the news vehicles.Laz, it said "purses" not "nurses". I just wanted you to know. It's important to the story that you understand she didn't leave her nurse in the car. It was her purse. That's what caused all the problems. A nurse could've called for help or something, a purse just gets stolen without putting up any fight. Everyone knows that about purses. They're real pushovers.

Anyway, it was "purses" soooo...alrighty then. Se ya' later.

[Seahawk]

Originally posted by amp:
When they get back, they find someone smashed the window, and took her purse.
This sounds like a great tee-vee-nuz story. The reporter could interview herself using the magic of cut-aways - "How did you FEEL when you saw the broken window?" "What went through your mind...???" "Do you feel violated?"

Of course, she can answer with the usual cliches. "I'll never carry my car keys in my purse again." "You just can't trust anyone, these days." "It took the police department TEN MINUTES to get here - I mean, c'mon - I'm a tee-vee reporter and this is my PURSE we're talking about..!!"

But the big question - will the reporter watch her own story of woe and learn anything from it?

[ November 15, 2006, 11:34 AM: Message edited by: Seahawk ]

[Mom]

When my first son was born he was seriously ill and spent the first three weeks of his life in the neo-natal intensive care unit. To visit him I had to wash my hands with industrial stength soap, put on a gown and a mask in the small waiting room outside the unit and then press the buzzer with my elbow to be admitted in. On one of those days in the three weeks he was there, I placed my purse under my coat so it was completely hidden from view and put my coat under a chair as I had been doing each time I visited. Someone stole the wallet out of my purse while I was visiting my son. The waiting room for the intensive care unit was very small and only accessible to parents of gravely ill children and some staff. I only had about $25 in my wallet but had to go through hours of phone calls to cancel credit cards, get a new license, SS card, etc. Hours that should have been spent with my infant son. It takes a special kind of scum to steal from someone in those circumstances.

I'd been robbed before several times. The feelings of violation I experienced those times were nothing compared to being ripped-off in the neo-natal intensive care unit. After that happened the hospital changed its policy and warned people not to leave their valuables in the waiting room. So while they were still concerned about germy people in their unit, they now allowed plenty of germy purses and briefcases in.

[Signature on File]

you need one of these......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee3L9BQQ4Gs

[Roy Hobbs]

And remember never leave Christmas presents visible in your car...lock them securely in your trunk or rumble seat!

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/d/dicktracy.jpg

[Fire Hydrogant]

On the other hand, what if she takes the purse with her and the thief grabs it right out of her hands? Should the station pay for that? Or is it her fault either way for going into bad neighborhoods in the first place, even though that's part of her job?

[Ringo]

AMP, if you're going to post something like this, at least get the story straight. The reporter was doing a liveshot in a not-so-bad neighborhood. She typically does carry her purse with her at crime scenes or into a building, just in case, but in liveshot situations she thinks it's too risky to have a purse visible like that. It's why she jammed the purse underneath the seat in the first place. As far as the car keys issue, the dealership required her to get everything changed - a computer chip safety feature - not something she wanted to do. Her insurance company said that since it was a work vehicle broken into, it's her managers' responsibility to file the purse as part of their claim - something they are dodging big time. She is seriously one of the nicest reporters I've ever worked with, and I think it's a shame she has to go through all of this.

[Another side]

Well, that fills in a few blanks. It wouldn't hurt the station to list it on its claim, if for no other reason than to show gratitude to a good employee.

And I can see them all sitting in the ND's office, grim looks and tight smiles on their faces, telling the young lady how much they'd like to help but, gee,it would set a ... dangerous precedent.

[60.cycle.hum]

And don't leave your purse on the bathroom floor!

BAG-TERIA (http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/purse.asp)

http://users.aber.ac.uk/afc/pics/melbourne/purse.jpg

[Fire Hydrogant]

In an ideal world, TV news vehicles should be secure enough to reasonably protect valuables of any kind, but they're not. I've always wondered: If the U.S. Postal Service is willing to install caging on all the windows of postal vans to protect people's mail, then why can't TV stations do the same to protect $50,000 worth of TV equipment?
http://www.eastsidecrew.com/wp-content/postal_service_van.jpg

[ November 16, 2006, 09:30 AM: Message edited by: Fire Hydrogant ]